Her Shoes
by DarkRiverTempest
Summary: Post Hogwarts. EWE. Snape's trial is at hand and Hermione can't find a thing to wear to make a good impression. Can Harry and Luna help?


In response to a drabble challenge on LiveJournal that I found on 'Simmering Cauldrons': Take the 5 nearest thick books and turn to page 394. Take the second sentence from each book. Turn them into a feasable drabble/story. I won't tell you the sentences - but I'm sure you can pick them out. ;) JK owns it all, or else that damn epilogue would've NEVER happened. *pouts*

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Hermione rifled through her closet, trying desperately to find a proper robe for the hearing, while Luna and Harry sat on the end of the bed, watching her.

"What time does the trial begin?" Harry asked when his best friend threw the fifth piece of clothing over her shoulder.

Glancing at the clock, Hermione's eyes widened. "In three hours!" She scrambled inside the deep closet, muffling curses as shoes and shirts came flying out.

"You could always use my catalog," Luna offered, tilting her head to watch a pair of socks walk out of the wardrobe by themselves.

Sticking her head out from between the hanging garments, Hermione panted, "What catalog?"

Luna smiled and snapped her fingers, producing a rather large tome that landed on Hermione's cedar hope chest. "J. C. Portkey," she said. "They have everything, even lock pickers."

"Lock pickers?" Harry asked, confused.

"Uhm hmm. They're especially useful in cleaning the teeth of a two-headed Beanine."

He leaned over to start flipping through the pages, but Luna stopped him. "You'll have to turn the pages with your wand, Harry, until you find what you want," she advised. "Then just touch your finger to the item and it will be 'portkeyed' to wherever you are."

Hermione's brows rose, impressed. "You say they have everything?"

"Look at this, Hermione!" Harry said excitedly. "They even have Muggle airplanes!"

"You're joking!" She quickly stepped over to where they both sat, their heads together, as they perused the catalog's pages.

"If you want one of those, I suggest selecting it Ioutside/I," Luna emphasized. "My father selected a few Muggle transports when we first got it and got trapped in each of them."

"Too bad he didn't have a steward to direct him to the exits." Hermione chuckled as she looked through the selection of fine dress robes.

"What's a steward?" Luna asked blankly.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other awkwardly. "Uhm, well, it's a person that offers you blankets if you're cold, or provides you with drinks if you're thirsty. They also give the passengers directions at the beginning of each flight on how to exit the plane in case it crashes," Harry explained.

Luna frowned. "Doesn't that get a bit repetitive? I know I'd be bored to tears by the second time they tried to instruct me."

"Well, you may think you've heard it all before, but different planes have different escape methods," Hermione pointed out. "Lots of Muggles have died because they didn't pay attention to the directions."

"Hmm," Luna mused. "Oh look, Hermione! These would be fabulous to wear!" She pointed to a set of robes that were rainbow in color… and flashing like a neon sign.

"Uh…" the brunette paused, not wanting to offend her offbeat friend.

"You do realize this is Severus Snape's trial, right?" Harry asked Luna. "We don't want Hermione going in there looking like a package of Skittles, waiting for someone to ask her, 'Taste the rainbow lately?'"

Hermione snorted with laughter, but Luna just shrugged. "I admit, some of these may seem weird," she said, pointing to a perfectly tailored, gray pin-stripped set. "Or you might find one that suits you perfectly," she announced rather proudly, her eyes focused on a navy-blue set that was absolutely gorgeous.

"Wow," Harry and Hermione breathed.

Without hesitation, the former Gryffindor laid her finger on the perfect dress robes for the trial, hoping that her testimony would set Snape free. A sucking sensation filled her stomach then eased after a few moments. Opening her eyes, she turned to look in the mirror and gasped. "Merlin's beard, I look…"

"Stunning," Harry said, coming to stand behind her.

The cut was superb, the length divine, the color elegant.

"I agree with Harry," the light-blonde girl murmured. "He won't be able to take his eyes off you."

Leave it to Luna to mention the enormous elephant in the room.

The two best friends shuffled from foot to foot nervously. Hermione had confessed her growing feelings for the captive and set out to prove his innocence with Harry's help over two months ago, today's trial the culmination of all their hard work. Whether he returned her feelings was another matter, but she continued in her quest to free him, regardless.

"Ahem," Harry coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, when is McGonagall dropping by to go with you to the Ministry?"

"She's not."

His brows creased. "Who're going with then?"

"No one," she muttered.

"Then Luna and I are coming with you."

"No, Harry," Hermione said, irritated. "You guys will just distract me and I can't afford that now." She held up a hand to forestall his rant. "I need all my wits about me, and the way you two attract all sorts of magical things like a magnet would only divert my attention at a crucial moment."

Ever since Ron had died in the war protecting Hermione, Luna had filled his place in the trio, though never the place he held in their hearts. An unusual side-affect of this bonding, however, was that wherever Harry and Luna went, strange occurrences or magical creatures were sure to follow. She didn't begrudge them this and found it rather enjoyable on occasion, but her focal point needed to be Snape… not the loose Knuts in everyone's pockets jangling suddenly and then sticking to Harry's backside.

Their love and affection for one another grew as the years progressed; it, and it alone, carried them through the worst of the times without Ron. So if Hermione needed them to stay behind, they did so, though with much grumbling to be heard.

"I promise I will come here straightaway after the verdict is given," she assured them as she Disapparated.

"She'll be back sooner," Luna sighed as she laid on her back with her head hung over the edge of the bed, upside-down, continuing to look at the catalog.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked, lying next to her to read in the same fashion.

She pointed to the corner of the room. "She forgot her shoes."


End file.
